Motor-vehicle trailer connection



July 26, 1927.

A. FEIGELSON MOTOR VEHICLE TRAILER CONNECTION 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed July 14, 1925 O J em h July 26, 1927'.

A. FEIGELSON MOTOR VEHICLE TRAILER CONNECTION Filed July 1925 2. Sheets-s i ed div/,6 1

J44 (MO Patented July 26, 1927.

ALEXANDER FEIGELSON, OF BEAUMbNT, TEXAS.

MOTOR-VEHICLE TRAILER CONNECTION.

Application filed July 14, 1925. Serial No. 43,470.

My invention relates to a connection be tween a trailer and a tractor, or other similar motor vehicle. It relates particularly to the supporting and draft structures by means of which the trailer is connected to the tractor.

It is an object of the invention to provide a suitable supporting and draft connection between a trailer and a motor vehicle, such as a tractor, which will allow restricted movement of the trailer relative to the tractor,'but which will serve to guide the trailer in the proper manner. It is desired that the draft connection be separate from the supporting connection and so arranged as to direct the pull of the loaded trailer relative to the tractor at a point somewhat above, or on a line with the axle of the tractor wheels.

It is also an object to provide means in connection with the support for the trailer, which will prevent the vibration and jar of the tractor from being communicated to the trailer.

It is a further object to provide an adjustable support for the forward end trailer, which may be easily and quickly adjusted into operative position, or again folded into inoperative position.

The invention consists primarily in the construction and arrangement of the parts comprising the connection between the trailer and the tractor, and these points of construction will be more clearly described and set forth in the specification which follows:

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a broken section, partly in elevation, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the plane 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the plane 3-3 of Fig, 4. Fig. 4: is a rear view partly in section of the supporting connection between the tractor and the trailer. Fig. 5 is a detail of a rolling shoe which may be used with the adjustable sup port. Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the tractor with my support thereon. Like numerals of reference designate like parts in all the views.

In the drawing, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, the tractor wheel being shown at 1 mounted upon an axle 2 with the usual housing and driving connections, such as are common on tractors of this type. The rear end of the differential gear housing is shown at 3. The

upper portion of this housing is secured detachably upon the lower portion by means of clamping bolts 4 extending through the marginal flanges, indicated at 5.

The trailer is shown with its forward end 6 spaced somewhat to the rear of the tractor, and the supporting connection is made through a forwardly extending supporting member 7, which I will term the reach. This supporting member is made up of two, parallel I-beams 8, spaced slightly apart at their forward ends by a transverse plate 9, which is bolted thereto. The said beams extend under the trailer body for a sufficient distance to form a firm mounting for the body of the trailer. The said I-beams are connected to transverse spaced I-beams, or channel irons 10, of ordinary construction, upon the trailer body. The reach thus forms a portion of the frame work of the trailer.

The two I-beams are reinforced on their inner sides by longitudinal bars 11, secured to the web between the upper and lower sides of the beams. The lower spaced sides of the beams are supported upon an approximately rectangular plate 12, which forms a sort of trailer transom plate. It has on its lower side a plurality of circular tongues or ridges 13, adapted to interfit in grooves 14 on a lower tractor transom plate 15. The plate 12 has its upper lateral margins bent inwardly to provide a groove 16 to slidably receive the sides of the I-beams, as shown in Fig. 4: of the drawing. The two plates are held rotatably together by means of a king-pin 18, secured in position by a nut 19 thereon. The lower plate 15 is provided with a pair of downwardly extending lugs 20, which are spaced apart and provided with aligned openings to receive a beafiing pin 21 upon which the plate 15 may roc The pin 21 is supported intermediate its ends upon an oscillating yoke 22. The two lugs 20 straddle this yoke and the pin 21 extends through a central opening formed in the upper portion of the yoke 22. Said pin 21 is parallel with the axis of the reach and thereby allows the reach and the plate upon which it is mounted to swa laterally. The

yoke 22 has laterally exten ing trunnions 23 at each side thereof, said trunnions being supported for rotation in bearing arms 2.4, one of said arms being provided ateach end 'videdon its lower side ends in the spider 26.

of the yoke The arms 24 are angle-shaped the innerends being bent downwardly and provided with bearing openings to receive the trunnions. The upper portions are arranged horizontally and are firmly attached to a supporting splder 26.

The spider 26 comprises a plate cut away centrally'to receive the yoke'22. It is prowith four downwardly extending bosses 27, each of which has an opening therethrough to allow the passage of a bolt or pin28. The pins 28 are supported at their lower ends in bosses 29 formed as an upper extension upon a draw yoke 30. The heads of the bolts are countersunk on the lower sides of the yoke and extend upwardly through said bosses, and the bolts are secured at the upper The connection a the upper ends of the bolts is a slidable one so that there may be a vertical play between the spider 26 and the yoke 30. Compression springs 31 are provided between the spider 26 and the yoke 30 to space the same resiliently apart. The spider is therefore resiliently supported on the four springs thus provided so thatth e jars and vibrations from the tractor will not be communicated to the trailer.

The support thus provided is not intended to sustain the draft from the tractor to the trailer. This is accomplished through a draw bar connected with the yoke 30. Said oke is U-shaped in general form and is adapted to straddle the upper end 3 of the gear housing and to be secured on said housing by means of the bolts 4, previously referred to. The rear end of the U-shaped draw yoke may be curved downwardly into line with the axle 2 and is formed with an opening therein to receive a connecting pin 33, which serves to attach thereto a draft connection, indicated generally at 34. This draft connection comprises a sleeve 35, which is pivoted at 36 to a clevis 37. Said clevis straddles the forward end of the yoke 30 and is pivoted on the pin '33, previously referred to. The forward end of the sleeve has a tubular recess, or cylinder, 38 therein to receive a draw bar 39, the head 40 of which fits closely within said recess. A spring 41 cushions the action of the head 40 on one side and the spring 42 serves the same purpose on theopposite side of said head. Said spring 42 bears at its outer end against the threaded plug 43 through which the draw bar is slidable. The outer end of the draw bar is slotted horizontallv at 44 to receive a cross bar 45 supported upon two legs 46 extending downwardly from the forward end of the trailer frame. A pin 47 extending through said bar 45 and the draw bar, thereby providing a pivotal connection between the tractor and the trailer frame,

The supporting frame 26 to which the tractor is connected is braced and reinforced on its rearward side by a central heavy brace bar 49 and two lateral'bars 50, 50. These brace bars are secured at their upper ends to the reach 7 and to the frame of the trailer. There. is also a brace rod 51, connected with the forward plate .9 on the reach and inclined downwardly below a transverse I-beam 52, and connected with the frame of the car and acting as a strut. to reinforce the frame work."

I also provide an adjustable support for the forward end of the trailer when the trailer is detachfi from the tractor. This support is in the form of a U-shaped frame \56. The upper arms of which are pivoted on bolts, or pins, 57 extending through the lower ends of the legs 46 of the trailer frame. The support thus provided is reinforced by transverse braces 58 and may have at its lower end a shoe 59 adapted to contact with the ground, or a castor or roller may be provided upon the bar 45, as indicated in Fig. 5. The upper legs of the U-sh aped frame extend beyond the pivots 57 and are adapted to be latched in upright position parallel with the legs 46 by means of a latch 60. It will be noted from the drawing that when the support is in operative position, the upper ends will hear at one side against a transverse supporting bar 61 on the legs 46 of the frame, and will beheld inthat position by the latch 60. Said latch hasa forwardly extending arm 62 thereon, which forms a lever whereby the latch may be drawn upwardly, releasing the upper arms of the supporting frame. When thus released, the lower end may be thrown rearwardly on the pivot 57 until the frame assumes a practically horizontal position out of the way.

In order to operate this supporting member, I have provided upon the trailer frame a transverse support 63 of angle iron. This transverse member has a central notch therein to receive a link of a chain 64. Said chain extends rearwardly of the frame of the trailer engaging around the beam 52, and is connected to the lower end 59 of the support. The other end ofthe chain falls downwardly from the latching bar 63 and is engaged with the upper head of the latch.- ing bolt 47. Thus. when the trailer is to be detached from the tractor, the chain 64 is unlatched from its position on the bar 63 and the weight of the shoe 59 upon the support will cause it to drop downwardly with some force, throwing the upper legs of the frame work against the cross bar 61 and allowing the latch 60 to drop in position, securing it in place. The dropping of the supporting yoke will exert a pull upon the chain 64, tending to withdraw the connecting pin 47 and releasing the draw bar 89.

,the sliding movement The tractor may then be moved away from transom plate pivoted on said yoke below the trailer allowing the reach 7 to slide said first mentioned plate, and a draft conrearwardly out of the tractor transom nection between said draw yoke and said plate 12. trailer below said reach.

In the use of my trailer-connection, the 3. In a motor vehicle including a tractor draft from the tractor to the trailer will be having a driving axle and a gear case and exerted from a line approximately parallel a trailer therewith, the combination of a with the axle of the tractor. The springs reach on said trailer, a plate rotatable on 41 and 42 within the draft connection will a vertical axis, said plate being formed to absorb shocks due to uneven movement of slidably receive said reach, a spider, a supthe tractor or the trailer relative to each other, and the movement of the draw bar within its socket will be accommodated by of the reach 7 in the transom plate. The supporting connection upon which the reach rests will have a universal movement, that is, it will be allowed and said trailer. an oscillation in any plane. It may move 4:. In a motor vehicle including a tractor laterally as the tractor is turned, through and a trailer, said tractor having a driving the connection between the transom plates axle and a gear housing above said axle, the provided by the king-pin 18. It may rock combination of a forward supporting reach laterally upon the pin 21 and may have an on said trailer, a draft yoke on said gear end-wise oscillation of the reach upon the housing, a spider supported resiliently on support through the yoke 22 in the spider. said yoke, a trailer transom plate on which The resilient mounting of the spider upon said reach is slidably supported, a universal the gear housing is ofmaterial advantage connection tween said plate and said spiin that the vibration and shock caused by the der and a draw bar connecti g said yoke movement of the tractor over uneven ground and said trailer. i and through the operation of the engine a resilient support on said gear case for said spider, and a draw bar on said crank case to the rear of said axle, connecting said tractor easily but will prevent crystallization of the to the rear of said axle, steel frame work entering into the construcbetween said yoke and trailer, a forward tion of the trailer and will thusmaterially supporting reach on said trailer, a transom prolong the life of the vehicle. The further plate upon which said reach is slidably supadvantages of the invention will be apparent ported and a universal connection between to those skilled in the art without further said plate and said yoke said reach being description. longitudinally slidablerelative to said trac- What I clalm as new and desire to protor, in the manner described. tect by Letters Patent is:

6. In a motor vehicle including a tractor 1. In a motor vehicle including a tractor and a trailer, the combination of a resilient draw bar between said tractor and said trailer above the drive axle of said tractor,

having a gear housing and driving axle, and a trailer connected therewith, the combination of a draw yoke on said gear housing and a supporting reach on'said trailer resilabove said axle, a supporting transom plate iently supportedon said tractor above said mounted resiliently above said yoke, and draw bar. means adapted to allow oscillation ofsaid 7. In a motor vehicle including a tractor spider on horizontal axes and at right angles and a trailer, said tractor having a gear to each other, a trailer reach supported rohousing, tatably on said plate, means allowing a sliding of said reach relative to said plate, and a draw bar on said yoke below said reach detachably connected with said trailer.

nection between said trailer and said tractor, a spider, bolts extending upwardly from said gear housing and slidable'in said spi- .der, springs around said posts resiliently supporting said spider, oscillate on said spider, a tractor transom plate mounted to oscillate on said yoke, and a trailer transom plate rotatable on said tractor transom plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflixmy gear housing and driving axle and a trailer, the combination of a draw yoke on said gear housing above said axle, a spider supported resilientl above said draw yoke, a reach on said trailer, a transom plate slidably support ed for oscillation on said spider,

ALEXAND a tractor R FEIGELSON.

a yoke mounted to the combination of a draft cong said reach, a yoke pivotsignature this 10th da%of July, A. D. 1925. 

